Newbish question

[Endoperez]

Magic path booster guide should help in finding ways to branch into new paths. It mostly governs multiplayers strategies, and getting as-high-as-possible levels in all paths isn't necessary even in MP, so don't worry about it too much if you're having fun.

[LDiCesare]

1. Niefelheim looks fine to me. But as llamabeast suggested, Marignon are very good to begin with.

2.1. You can increase thanks to items, empowerment or wishes, but this will not have any effect on your bless. So if you picked Nature 6, you'll never get +15% regen on your sacreds even if you empower to nature 8, 10 or whatever.
2.2. Empowerment again, but even more expensive. A cost of 80 points at setup means you took a chassis that's not suited to many magic paths (dragon?). Some chassis are better for having several paths, pretenders like the archmage or great enchantress cost only 10 per additional path for instance.
Considering that empowerment is 1) expensive and 2) only possible if you have gems of the good type (which probably require you to have at least one mage with that path to begin with), it's probably a bad idea to rely on it.

3. For ritual spells, those which are global enchantments last until the caster dies, the spell is dispelled, or someone casts another enchantment that replaces it.
Some spells (domes...) require you to spend 1 additional gem per turn the spell is to last.

[GrudgeBringer]

Thanks to everyone, you are very helpful to a noob that really was pretty lost.

Yes I used a Green Dragon as pretender (I just went by the semi-Stategy guide to nations in the manual).

So If I build a second Fortress/Citidal ect some distance away from my original it will draw supplies from areas surounding my new Fortress just like my original and I can stop my armies from starving if I am in the Fortress?

Thanks agian for EVERYTHING... I look forward to trying MP when I feel I need a whoopin cause I am finally able to beat up on the AI!!

[thejeff]

The fortress will boost supplies in it's own province and too a lesser extent in the provinces around it.
That's not a very effective solution though. You want those troops to be out conquering new lands, not holed up in a fort.

So, a couple of suggestions:
Can you use smaller armies? If you've just got 6N on your pretender that's not a really strong bless for Neifelheim, but it's still effective. A dozen or so Neifel giants, blessed and led by a Neifel Jarl should be able to take any indies and all but the largest AI armies. Keep them in cold provinces, it boosts their chill auras and those do much of the damage. Forge some equipment for the Jarl as well. Frostbrand, a shield, a reinvigoration item, Luck pendant if you can. Have him bless himself, cast any useful buffs and attack.

As suggested above: Bags of Wine. hire some cheap indy nature mages, have them site search a bit and then churn out the bags. Give one to each commander or too scouts with your armies.

While you're building that up, avoid waste and other low supply provinces. Plains, farms should have plenty of supply for most armies.

[Folket]

A dozen or so? Surly five niefel giants and a Jarl can take out the independents.

[thejeff]

I probably overestimated. I've never tried them with only a minimal bless.

[chrispedersen]

You can also have nature mages accompany your armies.
Each mage will give a supply bonus = Nat level * 5...

[GrudgeBringer]

I have a few other Noob things to ask, sorry if they seem so basic but I have read about everything I could and still am blind as a bat.

Let me say I have been playing every night and get a little farther and know just a little more before some AI comes and beats hell out of me.


I have been playing this as Late Man and playing it more or less like RomeTW just to get the mechanics down.

My questions (for now anyway)are:

1.Should I make my First Army Commander my Prophet or should I use a Mage of some sort.

I'm still not sure what a Prophet does for me (or for My Commander for that matter)I know it speads Dominion and I THINK I know that that means, I get more bucks, supplies, and he makes folks happier in the provinces.
BUT what does it do for the Commander?

2. I figured out (sorta) what being on the Hall of fame meeans and it be Gooood. (if there are any hidden things about it could someone let me know)

3. What good does a MOVABLE Pretender do (say a Ghost King)if I am afraid to get him killed? Wouldn't it be better to have a non movable Pretender and protect him?

4.I have been sending out units that can patrol area's to evey border province (I mean EACH province has its own) and am building a Temple in EVERY Province.

The Problem is I have no Idea if (and why) building a Temple in that many provinces is a waste of money and resourses (not to mention time away from building something else).

5.. When I have my Army Commander (he is a Prophet but NOT a mage)cast Bless, do I need to do it EVERY round of battle or once for the battle?

6.Do the low magic items I can forge protect only the Commander or do they apply to his troops also?

And along that same line, If I forge flying boots and it only affects the Commander can I leave my army in a province by itself and fly home for more men in say 1 turn?

7. Last (Sigh) question for know (tonight anyway so I can get my nightly WHOOPIN under way by the AI) When a different Faction declares war on me it seems an empty threat....BUT when I attack an AI he comes at me with EVERYtHING he's got.

So I ask this...Does the AI consider an attack without declaring war a big deal (and if so WHERE do I find the option of declaring war)? AND when I come upon a new faction If I leave it alone will it leave me alone (for a while anyway).

Sorry for being so long but I figure If iask 6 questions at once I won't be taking up space for others to ask more advanced questions.

Thanks in advance...this is a GREAT game but it has a learning curve as steep as AGEODS American Cilvil War and the forums arr the ONLY place to get good info!!!

[sector24]

Apologies if other people answered first!

1) A lot of people make their scout into their prophet. The prophet gets 3 holy magic OR +1 holy magic if he already has 3 or more. He also gets the "blessed" status meaning if your pretender has more than level 4 in any spell path he always gets the bless effect. The advantage of a scout prophet is that you can stealth preach in hostile lands, but you can still fight if you want to by just following around the commander. Also, you can use your commander to patrol on turn 1 and increase taxes for some extra cash early on.

2) There's a spell that lets you raise dead heroes that made it into the Hall of Fame. Also, the bonuses are semi-random, but in part based on what you were doing to get into the Hall of Fame. For instance, there's a bonus that gives you increased research, but it's very hard to research your way into the Hall of Fame!

3) Pretenders generally come in 3 useful flavors:
Rainbow mage for site searching or forging
Heavy bless pretender (level 9 magic in 1 or more paths)
SC Pretender for early expansion and general mayhem

An immobile pretender could be useful if you wanted to set them up to cast Wish late in the game, or as a researcher, etc. But generally you want your pretender to do things that your nation normally can't do, like diversify your magic paths or supplement your weak national troops.

4) You don't actually have to build structures everywhere. In fact, every temple you build is 400g that you haven't spent on troops. The quickie answer on why you build temples is to unlock the recruitment of priest commanders, and spread dominion, which in turn spreads the scales you chose at the beginning of the game.

5) Divine Bless affects everyone on the field for the duration of the battle. Bless affects a bunch of units for the duration of the battle.

6) Most items only affect the person wearing them. Exceptions like the Endless Bag of Wine will say so in their description

7) There is no diplomacy, you're always at war with everyone. However, you start the game with a "cease fire" against all the AI nations. If you attack them or they declare war on you via a message, you are at war for the rest of the game. The notable exception is if you both attack a 3rd party province at the same time; this does not break the cease fire.

[Endoperez]

Apologies if other people answered first!

You should also have apologised for people who answered late.


1. Prophet can cast Sermon of Courage and Smite, which are useful in the early game, and prophet also gets boosted hp, str and some other stats in your own dominion, but penalties in enemy dominion. He's also always blessed, but that isn't important with LA Man. Starting commanders make good prophets if you want the spells.


2. Staying in the Hall of fame longer is even better, and if you have Death magic you can recall dead heroes still in Hall of Fame. Unique summons and pretenders don't get heroic abilities.

3. Sitesearching alone is worth a little risk. You don't have to move a mobile pretender into danger. Some pretenders are more about magic and rituals and support, others can fight or cast good battle-spells and are tough enough to stay alive.
You can make your priests recall dead pretender, but he loses 1 point from all of his magic paths.

4.You don't build up provinces, but search for any sites they might have. Those replace buildings you'd build in other games.
Build castles to protect important provinces, such as sites with lots of good sites and recruitable mages. Also near chokepoints and enemies, so that you can build your armies closer to the enemy front.
Recruit PD (provincial defence) instead of patrollers. 1 point everywhere is good, 10 or more in border provinces might catch spies, anything over 15 starts to be quite expensive but LA Man gets very good troops from it. See pg 120 of your manual and compare the units you get to other nations' PD.

5. Only sacred units can be blessed. Bless works until the end of battle. Prophets are always blessed.

6.Items affect only commander unless otherwise stated in the item's description.

7. About wars...

If you attack AI nation, you're in war. It's just like he sending a message about you two being in war, except that the AI can actually attack you. Wars can be declared from the other side of the world...
Wars will eventually end if nothing happens for a time, but AI doesn't tell you this. Another aggression will make it angry again.
If you kill an enemy pretender, AI attacks you more agressively and doesn't forgive as easily, or perhaps at all.
To get an AI leave you alone, don't appear weak. By PD in border provinces and recruit some independent archers to accompany it; they work very well with your PD.

edit: made my post more coherent.